Willie Nelson Reveals How Ex Shirley Discovered His Longtime Affair

Willie Nelson is on the road again—but this time, he’s going down memory lane.
 
The country singer, 90, reflects on the ups and downs of his life in his new Paramount+ docuseries Willie Nelson & Family. In the four-part special, the songwriter lays out all the details of his relationships, including the shocking moment his second wife Shirley Collie found out he had been having a yearslong affair.
 
According to the “Pretty Paper” singer, his ex discovered he had welcomed a newborn with then-girlfriend Connie Koepke after finding a hospital bill in the mail that disclosed the birth of a baby girl named Paula.

“Shirley wanted to know who in the hell was Connie Nelson,” Willie—who wed Shirley in 1963 after his breakup from first wife Martha Matthews—said in the docuseries. “The truth is, Connie had been my girlfriend for several years before becoming pregnant.”

After finding out about the affair, Shirley’s marriage to Willie unraveled, with the couple finalizing their divorce in 1971. Willie went on to tie the knot with Connie that same year and remained married until their split in 1988.